WHIP-POOR-WILL; 
iicient during the day, as, like Owls, they seem then to want 
that vivacity for which they are distinguished in the morning 
and evening twilight. They are rarely shot at, or molested; and 
from being thus transiently seen in the obscurity of dusk, or in 
the deep umbrage of the woods, no wonder their particular 
markings of plumage should be so little known, or that they 
should be confounded with the Night-hawk, whom in general 
appearance they so much resemble. The female begins to lay 
about the second week in May, selecting for this purpose the 
most unfrequented part of the wood, often where some brush, 
old logs, heaps of leaves, &c, had been lying, and always on a 
dry situation. The eggs are deposited on the ground, or on the 
leaves, not the slightest appearance of a nest being visible. 
These are usually two in number, in shape much resembling 
those of the Night-hawk, but having the ground colour much 
darker, and more thickly marbled with dark olive. The pre- 
cise period of incubation I am unable to say. 
In traversing the woods one day, in the early part of June, 
along the brow of a rocky declivity, a Whip-poor-will rose from 
my feet and fluttered along, sometimes prostrating herself and 
beating the ground with her wings, as if just expiring. Aware 
of her purpose, I stood still and began to examine the space 
immediately around me for the eggs or young, one or other of 
which I was certain must be near. After a long search, to my 
mortification, I could find neither; and was just going to aban- 
don the spot, when I perceived somewhat like a slight mouldi- 
ness among the withered leaves, and on stooping down discov- 
ered it to be a young Whip-poor-will, seemingly asleep, as its 
eye-lids were nearly closed; or perhaps this might only be to 
protect its tender eyes from the glare of day. I sat down by it 
on the leaves, and drew it as it then appeared (see fig. 3. ). It 
was probably not a week old. All the while I was thus engaged 
it neither moved its body, nor opened its eyes more than half; 
and I left it as I found it. After I had walked about a quarter 
of a mile from the spot, recollecting that I had left a pencil be- 
